Rotating clothes drier



Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROTATING CLOTHES DRIERRansaeller J. Jenks, Lewiston, Idaho Application September 27, 1937,Serial No. 165,914

5 Claims. (Cl. 34-26) i The object of this invention is to provide a at6, to afford the remaining member of the bali novel mechanism ior'dryingclothes. race for balls 3, to reduce friction, as will be A It is afeature of the invention to revolubly Clear. The upper end of saidsleeve 5, is flanged mount the clothes to be dried and to direct upon at1, t0 aiord a supporting end for a part to be 5 l the clothes an airblast or current in such a later described. A pulley 3, is suitably xedto manner as lnot only to dry the clothes but also sleeve 5, and may bedriven from any Suitable tof'cause rotation thereof so as to bring allthe source of power by means such as a belt 9, as clothes within rangeofthe path of the drying One mechanical expedient of causing rotation ofair, the clothes.

l0 It is also a feature of the invention to provide Reference will nextbe made to that portion of lOf airy directing ,and drying means whichitself is the mechanism above the rack sleeve.

, rotatively` mounted so that if it is desired that What I will term anair directing sleeve I0, the clothes shall remain stationary, the airdiiS prOVidBd with a anged thrust end Il, adapted recting means mayrevolve as a result of the refor endWSe engagement with the flangedthrust l5, bound thrust of the drying air against the end 'I, of sleeve5. Apulley I2, is suitably secured 15.-',

e10t11ee, to sleeve I0 and may be driven by a belt I3, op-

L, is e150 a feature 0f the invention to provide erated from anysuitable source of power. A ceilpositive driving means: for causingrotation of ing engaging head I4 of heXagOnal fOrm, is either theclothes or the air directing means, adapted to abut against the ceilingI5 and is 236 and to provide devices for preventing rotation providedwith an internally threaded stud I6 2G 0f either of Saidinstrumentalities, extending downwardly therefrom, as shown in Theinvention involves a novel form of cen Fig. 1, and which inwardlytelescopes sleeve lil. trally disposed standard about which the clothesA sustaining rod I'I has a lower polygonal end and the air directingmeans may rotate, the I8 that iS SOCkSted in the 150D 0f DOS 4, S0 that.5 standard being extensible and having floor and said rod will not onlybe supported thereby but 2,1.

ceiling engaging heads for rendering the standwill also benon-rotatively connected therewith. ard stable when in an operatingposition, Said rod Il, has an enlarged alining section I9 The inventionhas many other features and which journals the upper end of sleeve 5 andobjects which will be more fully described in the lower portion ofsleeve I not only to aline connection with the accompanying drawing andthe Same but to thereby facilitate selective ro- 3U,

which will be more particularly pointed out in tary movement thereof.While I have not shown and by the appended claims. anti-frictionbearings at the juncture of the var- In the drawing- Y icus parts havingthrust engagement, except for Fig. l isa vertical sectional view of theprethe lower end of sleeve 5, it will be understood 35' ferred form ofmy drying mechanism. that suc-h expedients may readily be employed Fig.2' is a View in elevation of the upper porand will be dictated bymechanical skill, in View tionof the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.V of thisdisclosure. Said rod I'I, is provided with Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic viewof one circuit an exteriorly threaded adjusting section 20, havtha-t maybe employed. ing threaded engagement with the stud I6, so

40 Fig. 4 is a detail plan View of one of the rack that by turning headI4, rod I'I can be length- 4U,

bars showing how it is connected with the standcned or shortened inaccordance with the diard' rection in which head I4 is turned. When thel Fig.- 5 is a view partlyr in section and partly in adjustment has beenmade, as shown in Fig. l, elevation of the air directing means. rod IIfunctions as a sustaining rod under 45, Like characters of referencedesignate similar lengthwise compression to sustain heads I and 45,

parts throughout the different figures of the I4 in firm engagement withthe door A and ceildrawing. ing |5- `rReferring to the specific formshown, I desig- The advantage of this construction will be clear nates afloor engaging head which may be profrom the fact that all thestabilizing stress is vided with one member 2, of a ball race forantitaken by rod I'I and heads I and I4, thereby leaV- 50 friction balls3, or roller bearings which ever ing the revolving parts free from anyfriction may be desired. The head I has a journalling due to stabilizingstress.

post 4, extending'upwardly therefrom as shown. As a means of selectivelypreventing rotation A rack carrying sleeve 5 has its lower end roofeither sleeve, I have shown devices which may 555tatively journalled onsaid post! and is anged consist owinged` pins 2l and A2i. Pin 2I is 55adapted to be inserted through sleeve 5, into post 4, to preventrotation of sleeve 5, and of course lit can be Withdrawn to permitrotation of said sleeve. Pin 22, is inserted through sleeve IU, into thenon-rotatively supported rod I1, and preferably into section I9 thereof,to prevent rotation of sleeve I9, and can be Withdrawn to permitrotation thereof. This is a further reason Why rod I1 is non-rotativelyconnected with post 4, in addition to the fact that such connectionpermits lengthwise adjustment of rod I1 by turning head I4.

The rack sleeve 5 has a plurality of clothes racks radiating therefromand since each set of racks is identical in form and function only oneneed be described in detail.

Rack bar rings 23 and 24 are secured to sleeve 5 in vertical spacedrelation and each has flanges, indicating at 24' and 25, respectively,With notched outer ends 26 and 21, adapted to receive laterallyprojecting pins as shown at 28, whereby the inner ends of rack bars 29and 39 are supported. Bar 29, is longer than bar 30, and has its outerend notched at 3|. A spacing bar 32 is pivoted at 33 and 34, to bars 29and 39, and this pivotal connection at 33 is radially inwardly from thefree end of bar 29, as will be clear from Fig. 1. A supporting rod 35 ispivoted at 34, to bar 39, and at 36 to a ring 31, that is secured tosleeve 5.

I have shown the spacing bar 32, notched at 38, thus providing asupporting means for a line or cord 39, adapted to extend about the bars32 as a supporting means for clothes to be dried. A line or cord 40, isdisposed in notches 3I, for a similar purpose. Thus an inner and anouter circle of clothes can be hung from these lines, in addition to theclothes which are hung on the radially disposed bars 29 and 39 as Willnow be clear, and from which it Will be seen that the capacity is verygreatly enlarged. Clothes disposed in this manner provide the desiredreaction for a stream of air adapted to function both as a drying and asa propulsve medium, as Will presently appear.

Reference will next be made to the air direction means and to the mannerin which it functions.

Sleeve I9 is provided with a radially disposed boss 4I in which a pipeor tube 42 is disposed and held by means such as Winged nut 43. A collar44 is carried by said pipe 42 and secured by a screvv'45. Contact rings46 and 41, are connected'by hollow posts 48 and 49 with said collar 44and suitably insulated therefrom, and are disposed in concentricrelation to the standard, as shown. Suitable brushes 50 and 5I fixedlymounted at 52 and 53, respectively, make electrical contact With saidrings as the latter either rotate or remain stationary. A source ofcurrent 54, has a lead 55 extending from one pole thereof to brush 50,and a lead 56, extending to brush 5I, to supply current thereto. Lead 51extends from ring 46 through support 48 and pipe 42, to one terminal 58,of an electric fan 59. Lead 99 extends from ring 41, through support 49to the other terminal 6I, of fan 59, thereby completing the circuit,through pipe 42, which of course is suitably insulated from the leadsextending therethrough.

Fan 59 is mounted on a collar 62 which is adjustable on pipe 42, andwhich can be held in an adjusted position by screw 63. It Will be seenthat the fan may be adjustedlongitudinally of pipe 42, which is radiallyof the drier, and from Fig. 2, it will be clear that fan 59 can be setat such an angle that instead of the air blast being cli--A rectedstraight downwardly, it can be Idirected at an angle to the verticalthereby causing rotating movement of either sleeve 5, carrying theracks, or sleeve I9, carrying the fan. A switch 64, is v.interposed inthe circuit, as shown in Fig. 3. In Fig. 5, I have shown how the pipe 42is slotted at 65 to permit the leads to extend to the fan and affordclearance for longitudinal and rotative adjustment of the collar 62.

While theoperation may be clear from the foregoing, it will be brieiiyrecapitulated as follows:-

If the invention is incorporated in a normally unstable form ofstandard, as shown, then the standard is positioned with head I engagingthe floor and head I4 is then rotated until the rod I1 causes engagementof head I4 with the ceiling I5, as shown. If positive drive of thesleeves is resorted to, then provision for operating the belts must bemade, but I have successfully operated the drier Without a positivedrive and therefore do not regard the latter as essential. However,

if a positive drive is used, either of the sleeves` 5 or I9, may belocked in a fixed position by devices 2i or 22, to permit the othersleeve to be rotated, as previously explained. In some cases, it may bedesirable to rotatethe clothes and hold the fan stationary, and in othercases, it may be desirable to cause the fan to rotate and hold theclothes racks stationary. l

It Will be understood that if the fan is not rotated, then theelectrical contact means shown and described can be omitted.

If the positive drive is omitted, then the clothes racks can be causedto revolve by setting the fan 59 at an angle, as shown in Fig. 2, sothat the air blast will act upon the clothes not only to dry the samebut also to rotate the racks and the sleeve 5 thereof. Because of theinner and outer circle of clothes on the inner and outer cords 39 and49, respectively, the air from the fan is very effective, and theclothes 'on the bars 30 and 29, which are radially disposed, Willperform the propulsive thrust necessary to revolve the racks as the airacts upon said clothes, it being understood that pin 22, is inserted tohold the sleeve I0 from rotating.

When pin 22 is Withdrawn so that sleeve I0 can rotate, and the axis ofthe fan is at an angle to the vertical as shown in Fig. 2, then due tothe horizontal component of the thrust of the fan, the sleeve i and thefan will rotate around the aligning section I9.

It will be understood that I use the phrase air directing meansgenerically to also include an air heater if such expedient is desiredinstead of or in addition to a fan, this phrase being broadly construedin the claims.

It is believed that my invention Will be fully understood from theforegoing description, and While I have herein shown and described onespecic form of the invention, I do not Wish to be limited thereto exceptfor such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

l. In a clothes drying mechanism, a central standard having oor andceiling engaging heads for rendering said standard stable, a sustainingrod supported on and being non-rotatively connected with said floor headand having threaded extensible connection with said ceiling head, a rackcarrying sleeve revoluble about said rod and rotatively supported onsaid oor head near the lower end of said sleeve and said sleeve having aseries of clothes racks, a sleeve having air directing means andrevolubly supported on said rack sleeve, said rod having an aliningsection journalling said sleeves, drying means for revolving either ofsaid sleeves, and devices for preventing rotation of either of saidsleeves.

r2. In a clothes drying mechanism, a central standard having floor andceiling engaging heads for rendering said standard stable, a sustainingrod supported on and being non-rotatively connected with said oor headand having threaded extensible connection with said ceiling head, a rackcarrying sleeve yrevolubly mounted on said floor head near the lower endof said sleeve and surrounding said rod and having clothes racks, asleeve having air directing means and revoluably supported on said racksleeve, and said rod having an alining section journalling said sleevesat the juncture thereof.

3. In a clothes drying mechanism, a central standard provided with arevolving sleeve having radiating clothes racks thereon, and saidstandard having an air directing sleeve revoluble thereon and providedwith adjustable air directing means Y adapted to be set at desiredangles to direct air upon the clothes on said racks to dry the clothesand cause rotation of either of said sleeves to bring all the clothesinto range of the air from said means, and devices for preventingrotation of either of said sleeves.

4. In a clothes drying mechanism, a central standard provided With arevolving sleeve having radiating clothes racks thereon, and saidstandard having an air directing sleeve revoluble thereon and providedwith adjustable air directing means adapted to be set at desired anglesto direct air upon the clothes on said racks to dry the clothes andcause rotation of either of said sleeves to bring all the clothes intorange of the air from said means, and devices coacting with saidstandard for preventing rotation of either of said sleeves.

5. In a clothes drying mechanism, a floor head for frictionally engaginga floor of a room and said head having a journalling post, a sustainingrod non-rotatively seated in said post and having an alining section, aceiling head for frictionally engaging a ceiling of the room and havinga stud in threaded engagement with said rod for extension of said headsfor rooms of different height, arack carrying sleeve journalled aboutsaid post and alining section and rotatively supported on said floorhead, and an air directing sleeve having air directing means in endwiserotative engagement with said rack carrying sleeve and being journalledabout said alining section and said stud.

RANSAELLER J. JENKS.

